+400 cops transferred, others suspended

Published: 08 February 2018 (102 Views)

More than 400 Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) junior officers from the rank of assistant inspector and below have been transferred with immediate effect while others have been suspended as Government intensifies the transformation of the force.

Our harare Bureau is in possession of communication from the Police General Headquarters human resources department dated February 6 that is directed to all stations.

The transfers and suspensions are with immediate effect.

"Transfers: Assistant Inspectors and below. The following transfers have been approved and should be implemented immediately," reads the document.

Most of the police officers were transferred from Morris Depot in Harare to provinces such as Harare, Bulawayo, Matabeleland South, Matabeleland North, Manicaland, Mashonaland West, Mashonaland Central and Mashonaland East.

Police are on record saying there was nothing sinister about the transfers.

Of the 336, 15 are assistant inspectors, 36 sergeants while the rest are constables.

In Bulawayo province, 14 constables were transferred from depot to the provincial headquarters, while in Midlands province only two constables were transferred to its provincial headquarters from the depot.

According to the document, an assistant Inspector and six constables were transferred from the depot to Mashonaland West provincial headquarters.

Three sergeants and 11 constables were transferred from the depot to Matabeleland North province, while an assistant inspector, two sergeants and three constables were transferred to Mashonaland East Province.

Only one sergeant was transferred from the depot to Matabeleland South, while two constables were transferred to Mashonaland Central provincial headquarters.

Four constables were transferred in Manicaland province, while 19 other constables were transferred to Support Unit on suspension.

It was still not clear yesterday why the junior officers were transferred or suspended.

Police sources yesterday said the officers transferred to various provincial headquarters will soon be redeployed.

Last month, Government retired nine senior police officers from the rank of senior assistant commissioner and above as it moved to transform the the police force.

In August 2016, Government redeployed close to 500 police officers who were at different stations in Beitbridge District to other stations countrywide.

In November 2015, the ZRP carried out massive transfers and redeployments of senior officers at Police General Headquarters in what the force described as part of improving "effectiveness" in law enforcement.

Another 33 traffic police officers at Avondale Police Station in Harare were transferred to other bases because of intolerable corruption levels in January 2014.